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This page contains 5 sections: developer log, member activity, latest posts, upcoming meetups, and classified ads.
Here's 10 things that happened most recently:
Here's the 10 most recent posts:
I'm excited to share that Panamanian astronaut Jaime Alemán will take the stage at this year's Extraordinary Travel Festival (22-25 October, Bangkok) to share his extraordinary journey of traveling to Outer Space on a suborbital spaceflight with Blue Origin last year.
Jaime, who served as Ambassador of Panama to the US and traveled to all 193 UN member states, plus the North and South Poles, embarked on his outer space journey on Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-32 mission — which took him beyond the Kármán line (~62 miles altitude) which is the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.
We are thrilled to welcome Jaime to this year's Extraordinary Travel Festival, where he will share the stories, challenges, and perspective gained from pushing the very boundaries of global exploration — both on and off the planet.
What space travel questions should we ask Jaime?
The Extraordinary Travel Festival is the world’s largest gathering of the most avid, accomplished, and adventurous travelers and takes place in Bangkok on October 22–25.
👉 Join us in Bangkok at ETF and get your ticket at www.extraordinarytravelfest.com
I recently made a list of Global Travel Tech Conferences for 2026 and have shared it in a Google Sheet to help others in the travel tech industry learn about upcoming events. Pass it on to colleagues or anyone else you think will find it useful.
The list is available here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_0pkZIzBV3vyTduleF7i0-H2pRxUtaJFud_Vzz-NK5k/edit?gid=0#gid=0
What other travel tech conference should I add? They need to be 200+ attendees and have at least one track focused on travel technology (see full list of criteria below).
I'm particularly looking for travel tech conferences and events outside of Europe and North America — what is happening in Asia, LATAM, or Africa? Let me know!
✅ Criteria for inclusion on the list:
- Global conference - reasonable representation from multiple countries / continents
- Scale - conferences of 200 or more attendees in-person
- Travel industry related
- Travel technology related - either dedicated conference, or a significant technology component (exhibition area, content track)
- Public event - in that anyone can buy tickets and press are not excluded
- In-person
- co-located events, within reason - I'm not creating multiple lines for the same event
❌ Critera for exclusion:
- Invite Only - private meetings or membership-only events
- Vendor / tech company hosted user groups (exceptions for ATPCO and UATP)
- Meetups and small meetings (<100)
- Local or national meetings (needs to be regional or global - will people travel international for it?)
- Excluseively virtual or online events
- Short events (<4 hours) - esp. single panel or single speaker
- General non-travel, tech, web or consumer conferences
- Side events, after parties, add-ons, Travel Massive meetups - I'm only listing the primary event - list your chapter meetups here on Travel Massive
- Award shows & gala dinners
- Networking only events with no content or exhibitors
- ...or I think the list is getting too long
- ...or I think we have scope creep into other sectors
👉 If you know of an event that should be listed please contact me via DM on Travel Massive (@marklenahan) or on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marklen/
You can also also comment on the original LinkedIn post:
www.linkedin.com/posts/marklen_global-travel-tech-conferences-2026-activity-7397540551606239232-vK3k
Thanks for your feedback and support, and see you at a travel tech event this year!
excellent list
This is very useful - cheers.
Thank you!
I’m exploring QuotaTrip and would love to hear from anyone who has firsthand experience using their platform. From what I understand, QuotaTrip works on a subscription-based model where travelagents pay to receive traveler inquiries, and then the platform takes a commission once a booking is confirmed.
I’m curious about how this works in practice: Are the traveler requests genuine and convertible? Are they exclusive or sent to multiple agencies? Does the subscription fee plus commission structure make the platform financially worthwhile? Overall, is it a profitable and sustainable way to generate bookings?
I’d really appreciate any insights, both positive and negative, to help me understand if it’s worth joining.
It's that time of year again! Starting this thread for members to connect with each other around ITB Berlin during 3-5 March 2026.
→ Introduce yourself in 1 sentence.
→ What company do you represent?
→ Who are you looking to connect with?
→ Do you have a talk, session or meetup others can join? Share details
🎟️ Don't miss out the Berlin Travel Massive @ ITB party 2026 – Tuesday, March 3: www.travelmassive.com/events/berlin-travel-massive-itb-party-2026-1060376387
PS: Please don't share phone numbers or emails as this page is public. Connect and message with other members in this thread via your profile pages.
Hi Ian, I'm going to the ITB, my first ever time. Not sure what to expect but I'm excited!
Hello everyone 👋🏼
I’m Shanna, Partnerships Manager at Customer Alliance! I’m looking forward to connecting and exploring partnership synergies with you if you’re interested in feedback and reputation intelligence. We support over 5,000 hotels worldwide in optimizing their guest feedback management through AI-powered review management, automated responses, benchmarking, and advanced sentiment analysis.
Come by our booth (Halle / Stand-Nr.: 7.1C / 107) for a chat on this topic or let me know which stand you're at, I'll come over 🚀
Hey everyone 👋
I’m Charles, Director of Business Development at AirHelp! We help travel brands turn flight disruption into a better customer experience (and a smarter revenue opportunity).
Looking to connect with: OTAs, TMCs, airlines and travel tech partners who care about customer loyalty and ancillary growth.
No talks from me this year, just looking forward to good conversations, new partnerships and the usual ITB chaos.
If you’re around, let’s grab a coffee and also looking forward to seeing some of you at the ITB Party 🍻
I can vouch for Airhelp! They got me compensation from Lufthansa a few years ago when they cancelled all their domestic flights during ITB. The platform is excellent.
Hi everyone!
I'm Bjorn, your Berlin Travel Massive host.
Together with @hannah-deans I run our yearly ITB party and all Berlin Travel Massive events like our Experiences, Mixers and Unconference in Berlin.
We are organizing 3 events during the ITB week. Here's the details...
🪩 The Travel Massive ITB party — powered by Stay22, Stripe, Freedompay, Generator & ITB Berlin
We look forward to welcoming you for our legendary ITB party at Generator Alexanderplatz from 7pm to late on the 3rd of March. It will sell out this year as well.
Details and tickets at: travelmassive.com/events/1060376387
📍 Digital Sphere speed networking powered by Stay22
My travel influencer marketing agency Destination Digital organizes the Digital Sphere speed networking event with travel influencers, tourism boards and travel brands. It's taking place prior to the Travel Massive ITB party at the Generator Alexanderplatz from 5pm to 8pm on the 3rd of March.
Participating industry partners include: Rotterdam, Baden-Baden, Vorarlberg, Noordwijk, WeRoad, Stay22, Generator, European Sleeper, BER airport and more to be announced.
Apply to participate as a creator, destination, or brand at: tally.so/r/0Q6zkP
🍺 The Travel Massive closing drink at the ITB Späti — sponsored by ITB Berlin
We struck a beautiful collaboration with ITB Berlin and are organizing a closing drink at the ITB Späti on Thursday the 5th from 14:30 to 17:00. It's a great way to wind down over a cold drink (first drinks are for free. First come, first served) after a busy week of networking and pitching.
RSVP and details: travelmassive.com/events/6023899673
Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin.
Cheers,
Bjorn
Ahoy friends of Travel Massive!
-Kash here , 11 years a proud Travel Massive member , National Geographic Traveller's Blogger of the Year and talk about hostels, stylish budget travelling at the BudgetTraveller plus run an award winning video production company with my other half, Sabrina Wulf.
-Looking to connect with anyone in travel who is passionate about storytelling and looking at unusual ideas, angles to spread the word.
- Plus, on behalf of our main sponsor Stay 22, our wonderful host, the MOA Hotel Berlin and my cohosts, Melvin from Traveldudes and Sabrina, I would love to invite you all for a beer or 3 at our ITB party on 4th March at the MOA Hotel where we have already 220 creators, journalists and Destination Marketeers registered. Bring your passion, energy ( whatever you have left after ITB) and join us. Should be a free drink for everyone , DJ and we hope for a few more fun things.
RSVP here- we have a few tickets left: www.eventbrite.de/e/the-travel-dudes-budgettraveller-itb-travel-meet-up-2026-tickets-1982275673902
congrats on 11 years!!!
Cheers Ric. Lot of great memories , people and socials over the years at ITB and all around the world. I hope to see you soon
I'll try to get to this Kash. Would be lovely to see you x
Hi I'm Debbie Hindle Chair of a non-profit - the International Centre for Responsible Tourism global. We run short online training courses and a free-to-enter Responsible Tourism Awards programme. The Berlin Wall was still up when I first started going to ITB (in my previous life running a marketing/PR agency)
We have just announced we have become CRS partners for ITB Berlin and we'll be launching a scholarship opportunity during the show (announcing on various tourist board stands and the Responsible Tourism Networking session)
Some useful links
- our partnership with ITB: icrt.global/icrt-global-becomes-itb-csr-partner/
- our free to enter Responsible Tourism Awards programme: icrt.global/2026-responsible-tourism-awards/
Hope to see you there!
Hey everyone 👋
I’m Gregg, Commercial Director at Grain.
Grain provides an embedded FX protection and cross-currency solution for software platforms, marketplaces, and payment providers. We help our partners eliminate foreign exchange risk for their customers by automatically protecting transactions against currency volatility, delivering stable and predictable pricing without the complexity of traditional bank or broker hedging.
Looking to connect with airlines, travel platforms, marketplaces, payment providers, and fintech partners who are building globally and want to turn FX from a cost centre into a competitive advantage.
If you’re around, let’s grab a coffee.
USE-IT is a European network of young people (18-30 years old) making city guides and maps to share tips to travel sustainably, learn a bit about the place you’re visiting and get an experience like a local.
Each map is uniquely designed and provides comprehensive information appealing to young travelers such as bars, non-boring museums, sightseeing, cheap and good food, and other student hot spots. While the maps are designed for 18-30 year olds, anyone young at heart can enjoy these fun city guides.
They have up-to-date maps in about 20 cities in Europe, including: Amsterdam, Brno, Modena, Oslo, Ostrava, Prague and Warsaw to name a few.
The project is based in France and is run by a board of volunteers from all over Europe, with one hired editor-in-chief to support teams in making their map keep things consistent. Learn more about the project at use-it.travel/about
These are really good!!
This week I attended my first [Demo Day LA](demoday.la) at [BLANKSPACES](www.blankspaces.com) co-working in the beachside neighbourhood of Venice, Los Angeles. The quarterly event invites early stage LA-based startups to pitch to an audience including angel and VC investors, and is hosted by [nerdstage](nerdstage.com) who support the LA tech-scene with meetups and community events.
The evening consisted of two pitch sessions, a fireside chat, and networking. Startups also hosted demo booths which provided a great opportunity to chat to the founders and learn more.
From Restaurant Bots to Reality TV Game Shows
Here's a quick rundown of the startups who pitched (photos in the gallery above):
* [Swapnice](swapnice.com) — a company powering NFC tags that can be embedded in collectables such as trading cards or sneakers to keep track of the story and history of the item.
* [The Earthineering Company](www.earthineering.company) — a small nuclear power plant that converts plants into synthetic fuels that can be used by vehicles and jet engines. They need a cool $470M.
* [Axon](axondata.ai) — an AI scoring system for CRM data to identify and prioritize high-value sales leads.
* [Pinto](www.pintorobotics.com) — This startup makes cooking robots to automate restaurant prep work for customers such as KFC. They built a machine that automates the dispensing of sauce containers with lids.
* [Thallus Foods](www.thallusfoods.com) — this sustainable-focused startup is cultivating a hard-to-find variety of tasty mushrooms for restaurants and kitchens that are high in protein and "taste like chicken".
* [Advanced Drone Solutions](advanceddronesolutions.com) — This startup is bringing automotive-style HD mapping to the drone industry and was the first drone company cleaning buildings in LA.
* [Haus.me home](haus.me) — autonomous, sustainable, ultra energy efficient 1-3 bedroom homes that can be installed in a day almost anywhere. The homes generate their own water from the air.
* [Starcade Live!](www.starcadelive.com) — a gameshow platform (from the producer behind the reality TV show "Robot Combat League") that livestreams people playing arcade games.
* [Gemist](gemist.io) — this platform creates professional grade stock images and videos of real jewellery and gemstones for online stores using AI and CAD models, improving the UX for online stores.
From a travel and tourism perspective, quite a few startups had some touch points.
Earthineering could address soaring demand for jet fuel with their synthetic fuel generator. Pinto's food prep devices could soon be operating in airports and hotels. Your next Airbnb or remote work stay could be in a home manufactured by Haus.me. Thallus Foods' mushrooms could make vegan airplane food finally taste good. And any travel company with business customers could score and improve their CRM leads with Axon's AI plugin to improve their sales.
There's also a few things the travel industry could learn from non-travel startups. For example, Gemist are improving online retailing of expensive jewelery with sophisticated AI rendered images and videos. Similar processes could be applied to luxury travel products and merchandising.
A Demo Day LA Success Story: Local Startup Stanify launches their AI Agent for Social Media
In a fireside chat with host [Zach Sekar](www.linkedin.com/in/zachsekar) (co-founder of [nerdstage](nerdstage.com)), [Hank Leber](www.linkedin.com/in/hankleber/) shared the fundraising and launch story of [Stanify](stanify.ai) — an AI agent that helps large brands respond to millions of online comments and DMs on Facebook, TikTok, and other social media platforms. They oversubscribed their seed round after pitching at Demo Day LA last September.
Hank shared his entrepreneur journey from dropping out of TV advertising to failing and learning from multiple startup ventures, and why founders should practice their pitch 50 times (yes, fifty) to nail their confidence on stage. Hank believes that now is the best time for anyone to create their own startup with AI (he recommends Claude Code), but warns that you can't wing it — founders need to be experts at their craft and know every element of their subject domain to be successful.
Overall, it was a great evening with lots of practical insights and takeaways. Thanks to Zach and the team for creating a fantastic event! And thanks to Lainie Clary from [Sage Local](sage-local.co) for catering.
Head to [demoday.la](demoday.la) to learn more about the LA tech community and upcoming events.
My first Demo Day LA was a lot of fun and well worth attending.
The travel industry can learn a lot from non-travel events like this. Seeing the problems being solved by startups in other industries is a good way to get a fresh perspective and spot new opportunities that we can apply in our own industry.
One thing that stuck me was how many investors were in the room and willing to be supportive of the tech community. And serious investors at that — one investor I met had launched products at Intel, and another founded a large games company that sold for $800M. They all want to give back. The LA tech investment ecosystem appears to be thriving thanks to the long-term support of everyone in the community.
If you're building a travel startup in California then you should be a part of this!
Totally agree about learning from non-travel events. I go to as many tech things as I can to keep up. Thanks for posting.
Ian, great report, would love to read more of them! Are there any websites to monitor travel tech startups? Or a list of events that are a must to visit if you are into travel tech scene?
Glad you liked the article!
There's no open online database that I know of that tracks travel and tourism startups globally. You could take a look at crunchbase or ycombinator's lists but imo they are US biased and don't serve a global view. Futuretravel and Phocuswright each sell a database of travel startups. I guess the challenge is that startups are frequently launching, pivoting, and failing so it's difficult to capture a real-time view without a lot of effort.
Hey guys,
I'm one of the co-founders of hoppswap.com — a home swapping platform matching people through their shared interests and lifestyle.
I'm looking for some feedback. Home swapping isn't new but the awareness of the concept is still early days. 3 in 10 are aware of it globally, yet 1 in 10 actually make use of it according to the data.
There seems to be a pull into 'living like a local' over the last few year as well as being able to save costs through swapping homes.
I'd be interested in hearing how many people would consider swapping homes as a means to travel through the comments below. Those that have already, those that have thought of doing it but haven't and those who have never heard of it!
👉 Yes or No and the reason behind it........Thank You!
Cheers
Mo
Great concept Mo. Reminds me of the couch surfing days.
I've noticed the Help section isn't linked to anything?
I feel the site would benefit from more explanation about the process of the verification/ what is involved in this, especially what extra protections for females/LGBT in place.
Additionally, maybe a visual of the process of swapping, to show it and how you actually go through the swap process. Good luck.
Thanks Nathan and appreciate the feedback around this, for sure - we're rolling some fresh updates out over the next week to guide members. What's been interesting is that most of our community have swapped using online forums eg Facebook/Instagram but haven't used a platform which has infrastructure to enable them to do it so hand-holding this part as you say is super important.
Yes, but mostly when it fits around existing bookings.
What we are noticing is that hosts are far more open to the idea when it revolves around nights that would have stayed empty anyway, rather than feeling like they are giving something up. That shift seems to remove a lot of hesitation.
Thanks Lamont, matches with some feedback we've been receiving, a few folks have shared it stops feeling like they're sacrificing or 'giving something up' as you say and more that they've found value.
I have signed up to a swapping platform and have used it once in...years. Security seems to be my main pain point.
Yeah 100% security is a big blocker and I’ve heard similar feedback from others on why they sign up, browse, but then maybe don’t end up swapping.
For us it’s also who you’re actually swapping with that matters more than the property.
One of the things we’ve done Jazz is built real world filters like women to women, families only, LGBTQ friendly and lifestyle matching swaps. Clear badges from and verification show who’s been checked and who’s actually swapped before.
As a standard we’ve also partnered with third parties for ID checks and damage protection and our board includes the Head of Legal at Revolut because this matter so, so much! Thanks for your feedback, really appreciate it.
I wouldn't - but I've been burned trusting people in my home. Also, not a fan of when the homeowner is a smoker (lingering!) or has lots of pet duties for one to do.
I guess trust/vetting would have to be incredibly strong and reliable and expectations on both sides need to be finite. Wishing you success.
Thanks Mary and for sure. Once you’ve had a bad experience it really sticks right.
That’s exactly the stuff we’re trying to remove upfront tbh. People first, not homes and some of the filters I’ve mentioned before that actually matter like non smoker, pets or no pets, lifestyle stuff for smart filtering, so there are no surprises or weird expectations when you arrive.
We’re big on trust being visible too. Third party ID checks, clear badges, damage protection etc. Plus house rules agreed before anything’s confirmed so everyone knows what they’re walking into. Videos and getting to know one another are also part of the experience of making it human!
Really appreciate you sharing this, thanks Mary.
Curious what others here think. With occupancy in many cities hovering around 50 to 60 percent, are unused nights becoming one of the biggest hidden inefficiencies in short term rentals?
5 million Airbnb hosts are managing 8.1 million listings around the world – this new venture wants to get you a free stay in any or all of them…
In hospitality, heads in beds is the primary success metric. But in the race to maximise Airbnb occupancy, there’s a thing called orphan nights that creeps in between bookings, i.e. when your Airbnb stands empty and you’re not making money.
In major global hubs, listings have surged to record levels—London now hosts over 70,000 active listings, while Paris and New York maintain massive footprints despite tightening regulations.
Yet, even in these high-demand destinations, average annual occupancy rates often hover between 50% and 60%, leaving significant gaps in even the most popular calendars.
Can we max the deficit?
The gap only a host would know.
Properties can print money when booked: The global vacation rentals market is projected to grow to $195.45 billion in 2026 (according to Fortune Business Insights), and a typical professional host in top-tier markets can see annual revenues exceeding $45,000 per unit.
But those orphan nights in between mean that, for nearly half the year, thousands of high-end homes sit empty, protected by security systems but devoid of utility. And who’s to bet the owners are often priced out or too busy trying to fill beds to enjoy a holiday of their own.
And that’s where this new venture comes in…
Turning unbooked Airbnb nights into vacation stays.
AirhostSwap.com is a platform that lets Airbnb hosts around the world exchange their rental’s unoccupied nights for stays at fellow Airbnb hosts' spots.
If your spot’s empty, this new venture lets you host another owner in exchange for HostPoints, which founder Lamont Hitchings explains is 1:1 with your dollar host price ($1 = 1 HostPoint).
Here's a short explainer video www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDIPf8z6Gpw
So, your $260 a night Airbnb gets you 260 HostPoints, but it’s a non-reciprocal exchange, so you don’t have to go stay at the host that’s staying with you; you can go stay at any other host’s place in the world (they have over 2000+ active on the global platform).
And trust is baked in: Only active Airbnb hosts may join. In fact, AirhostSwap integrates directly with Airbnb calendars (to prevent the nightmare of double-bookings).
What's cool about it is that it’s not about competing with any short-term rental platforms; there’s a small annual subscription fee, helping ensure it stays a community of guaranteed only Airbnb owners reclaiming the utility of their own investments.
A great way to leverage your existing asset for a trip to London, Paris, Dubai - wherever.
We’re watching this space…
Thanks for the feature 🙌
A theme we’re noticing: empty nights are becoming a new kind of currency for hosts.
Interested to hear how others in this community approach travel while managing listings.
Sounds like a brilliant concept!
Honestly, I think the concept is pretty interesting. The idea of using otherwise unused availability in a smarter way makes a lot of sense, especially with how many properties sit empty between bookings. If the platform can keep the experience simple for hosts and still maintain trust and quality, I could see it gaining traction. Curious to see how it evolves.
Really appreciate that Riley. The idea actually came from seeing how many nights sit empty between bookings, so we’re focused on helping hosts turn that unused time into travel rather than letting it go to waste. Keeping it simple while maintaining trust is definitely the challenge, but that’s exactly what we’re building toward.
Brilliant concept
Just awesome
Innovative thinking.....can't wait to see it in action
Thanks Teds. It’s actually already live and running with 2,600+ Airbnb homes on AirhostSwap. Hosts are already using their empty nights to travel themselves. Always keen to hear what people think once they see how it works.
What a clever idea. There are always dreary empty nights and this idea of swopping fills the void with a return in terms of points. Well done!
Thanks Peter, really appreciate that. That was exactly the thinking behind AirhostSwap. Instead of letting those empty nights sit unused, hosts can turn them into real travel opportunities for themselves.
It has been amazing seeing how many hosts already understand the value once they see it in action.
Amazing
Outstanding
Brilliant idea
Great idea - will definitely sign up.
Fantastic and very easy to use. Everyone should try it out. Its a great idea.
Really appreciate that Andrew 🙌 The idea came from seeing how many nights sit empty on host calendars each year.
Instead of losing those dates, hosts can now turn them into travel with other hosts around the world. Thanks for the support!
Very clever idea. Loads of nights get wasted. Nice to be able to make them work for you now.
Exactly Julian. Even in busy cities, calendars still have gaps between bookings.
The goal is simply to make those unused nights work for hosts instead of going to waste. Glad the concept resonates!
So convenient so swop a with another host when I couldn’t fill my bookings!
Yes Joshua, that’s a big part of it. When bookings slow down, hosts can still get value from their dates by swapping within the community.
It keeps the calendar moving even when demand drops.
Brilliant idea 💗
This is brilliant so easy to navigate thanks for this!!!
Thanks Dean, really appreciate that 🙌 The whole idea came from seeing how many empty nights sit on host calendars each year.
Instead of letting those dates go unused, hosts can now turn them into travel within the community. Glad you’re enjoying the experience!
Have a bed and breakfast business in the heart of Cheshire UK. Am I able to place a room on your platform or do I need to be registered with Airbnb first? Love the concept and look forward to using this platform.
Hi Mark, really appreciate the support. AirhostSwap was built for Airbnb hosts, but we do make special exceptions if we’re able to properly verify the property.
If you’re happy to share some details about your B&B (photos, amenities, location, etc.), we can take a look and potentially list it on the platform. The goal is simply to keep the community safe and trusted for everyone.
I believe that this is a fantastic, innovative business concept! The best businesses usually leverage deep consumer and market insight to deliver real, tangible value. This is one of them.
Really appreciate that Brad, thank you.
The idea came from seeing how many nights sit unused on host calendars and thinking there had to be a smarter way to create value from them.
The long-term goal is to build a trusted network of hosts rather than just another booking tool. It’s been interesting watching how people respond when it feels more like a community than a marketplace.
Clever idea. Curious to see it evolve!
Thanks Michelle, really appreciate that.
It’s been interesting seeing how hosts respond when it feels less like another booking platform and more like a trusted network they can actually be part of. Still early, but exciting to watch it grow.
The [Lycian Way Challenge](lycianwaychallenge.com) is a fundraising hike that follows the length of the [Lycian Way](en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycian_Way), a 540-kilometre trail in southern Türkiye. The idea is straightforward: undertake the 540-kilometre route over 4–5 weeks and channel the effort into raising funds and awareness for men’s health and cancer recovery, while documenting the journey openly for others to follow.
The challenge was created by [Jason M. Cronen](www.travelmassive.com/@jasoncronen) after facing cancer twice, most recently following a devastating diagnosis while living abroad in Thailand with his girlfriend in April 2024.
The walk mirrors recovery itself: long, uncertain, and taken one step at a time.
Funds raised support Movember’s global work helping men live beyond cancer, along with other leading organizations and research efforts focused on prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.
For centuries, the Lycian Way served as a trading route linking coastal towns with inland mountain communities across what is now southern Türkiye. This hike follows that same line on the map, committing to the distance and the time it demands. Support is welcomed to help turn this journey into meaningful impact for men’s health worldwide.
Hi everyone, I’m the creator and hiker behind The Lycian Way Challenge.
What began as a personal commitment has grown into a bold challenge and a small but determined grassroots effort forming around it.
At its core is a simple but very real question: after everything, can I successfully hike the 540-kilometer Lycian Way?
Much of the preparation has happened alongside my treatment and the ongoing process of rebuilding my life through and beyond cancer. Over the past several months, I’ve been training, organizing logistics, securing partnerships, and steadily fundraising as I prepare to take this on.
Somewhere along the way, this stopped being just a hike. It has become a personal vision quest.
Supporters so far include HOKA, Sony, OpenVC, MixTape Beverages, 1Up Media, alts.co, and the Travel Massive community, along with early individual donors who came in through friends and family. I’m also in active conversations with several additional brands and organizations as we continue building the right group of partners for this challenge.
There’s still a great deal to do before getting to the trail, and even more once the hike begins. I’m sharing this openly to build momentum and invite others to be part of it.
🥾 How You Can Help Us
If you’re part of the Travel Massive community and this resonates, I’d truly value your support.
I’m actively looking to connect with writers, PR professionals, donors, outdoor and travel brands, hospitality groups, and media teams who want to be part of this effort. This is one of the largest Movember challenges being undertaken anywhere in the world this year, and there’s real opportunity to build something meaningful around it.
Donations directly support logistics, safety planning, gear, and media and communications around the challenge. My goal is to raise at least $10,000 to fully support the effort and maximize its impact. If you’re able to contribute, you can do so via Wise or other platforms at lycianwaychallenge.com/donate/. A larger public GoFundMe campaign is also in the works to expand the fundraising reach in the months ahead.
And if you’re on the route, nearby, or have friends along the way, I’d love to connect! Sometimes the most meaningful support is local flavor, a helpful handoff, or a shared moment on the trail.
I also want to give a sincere thank you to Burak Demirci in Türkiye, who I originally met through Travel Massive. Burak has become a friend and an invaluable local resource, and his guidance has made a real difference as this effort has taken shape.
Thank you for reading and for any support you’re able to offer. It truly means the world to me.
👉 Connect & Follow The Hike
Web: lycianwaychallenge.com
FB: facebook.com/lycianwaychallenge
X: x.com/lycianway2026
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/lycianwaychallenge
Movember Teaser on YouTube: bit.ly/LycianWayChallengeTeaser
Other social media coming soon, once I catch my breath and set them up.
Hi Travel Massive Community,
My name is Gavin Rooney and I’m the founder & CEO of AnotherTrip, an Irish startup. With 12 years in travel and hospitality and 20 years in tech, I started AnotherTrip after hearing the same pain from creators and travel brands: collaborations are still being run through DMs and spreadsheets, deliverables get messy, organic performance is hard to attribute and record-keeping is often an afterthought.
This matters more than ever as more and more countries have started to treat gifted stays and PR trips as taxable income when provided in exchange for promotion.
What's happening? Tax and free gift in the same sentence sounds wrong but it is increasingly common.
Unfortunately it’s true! In many countries, gifted stays, free trips, and PR trips and experiences are all now considered taxable income for content creators, even when no money changes hands, when these things are given in exchange for promotion.
This means:
- A free hotel stay
- A gifted experience/tour/activity
- A PR trip can now in many cases also be considered taxable
These can all be treated as taxable transactions, depending on where you’re based, alongside any additional payments or benefits provided. For example, here's the Irish rules (www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/income-tax-capital-gains-tax-corporation-tax/part-04/04-01-22.pdf), as well as the UK rules on this (taxhelpforhustles.campaign.gov.uk/tax-rules-content-creators/). We'd really recommend you to check out the rules in your own tax residence country!
The biggest challenge is that most of this activity still happens informally and is agreed over DMs or email chains, with random records of what was gifted, what it was worth, or how it should be reported.
Content creators are often left asking:
- Wait, what? Do I need to pay tax on this?
- What value was this even worth I can’t remember?
- Where and how should I even be tracking this stuff?
And there’s two sides to this coin, brands are also under growing pressure to keep better records of collaborations as regulations across countries evolve. And without records how can they even begin to understand the ROI of collaborations to begin with?
Neither side wants surprises later, but the tools to manage this haven’t really caught up.
That’s why we’re building AnotherTrip.
To help content creators and brands bring structure and clarity to collaborations, without turning it into a tax advice service or killing the creative side of the work. While providing analytics for both parties on the content that worked.
For content creators, our meta-verified tech platform is designed to:
- Keep a clear record of paid and gifted collaborations
- Your deliverables, payments, and gifts are all automatically logged for each campaign, no DMs, no spreadsheets and no email chains.
- Manage all your campaigns and even find new collab opportunities
- Store all your documentation and deliverables in one place
- Automatically perform a self audit on your previous collaboration history. Helps your organise records and generate an export you can share with your accountant.
- View campaign stats, posts, and activity over time to understand what’s performing well and keep a clean audit trail.
The good news is, we’re currently onboarding creators and brands to our pilot programme. No commitment, just early access to a clear collaboration management platform and the chance to have your say in how it grows.
I’d love to hear from you all!
- Are you already tracking gifted stays or PR trips today?
- Have you seen changes in how “free” gifts are treated for tax where you’re based?
- What tools (if any) are you currently using to stay organised?
Happy to answer questions and learn from others’ experiences, this is a space that’s changing fast!
Thanks for reading,
Gavin
Great info. Are you seeing differences by market? Some creators seem far more cautious about gifted stays now, while others still handle things informally. There’s probably a big opportunity for processes that make valuation and expectations transparent upfront rather than something creators have to untangle later.
Thanks Maureen. Yes absolutely seeing differences by market. In countries where the rules have been clearer for longer (like the UK and Ireland), we're noticing more creators are at least aware they should be tracking gifted collaborations, even if they're not always sure how. But in many other markets, it's still very much the Wild West, with most activity happening informally through DMs and email chains.
What's really interesting is that the divide isn't just geographic. It also depends on the creator's scale and sophistication. Established creators with accountants or managers tend to, but not always, be much more cautious and systematic, while newer or part-time creators often don't know there's anything to even track.
On the brand side, we're seeing similar patterns. Larger hospitality groups and tourism boards are starting to ask for better documentation and valuation processes upfront, partly for compliance and partly to justify ROI. Smaller properties and independent brands are often still operating on handshake agreements. It is still all very fragmented at this time.
Its this process that we are trying to change here. Where no collaboration will happen until both sides understand the obligations and expectations. The clarity benefits everyone.
Brilliant concept! Bringing structure to creator-brand collaborations is exactly what the hospitality industry needs to scale digital marketing efficiently. Great job!
Exciting News, I am interested to bring Papua New Guinea Content Creators along in this trip. Appreciate your feedback.
Hi Tina, Happy to have a call if you want to chat about some of the different things to look out for. Some countries allow their content creators to do Fam/Press trips and these currently do not count as revenue for the creator so they do not have to pay tax on that, but for this the trip has to be well documented as a fam trip from the start. It can not be an afterthought. At this stage it is very much a country by country ruling. Let me know if you want to have a brief chat about what we have seen so far and things to consider from your side.
Sounds interesting - could you define what size you see micro-creator accounts being? For example, would we be included?
Hi Suze, micro creators tend to be from the 10k to 100k follower count and then nano creators below that and macro creators are 100k+. What we are building is for all creators sizes though. The issues exist for any creator size. I see you are UK based so have a read of this taxhelpforhustles.campaign.gov.uk/tax-rules-content-creators/ . There is a section there about gifts for promotional work. It doesn't matter what size creator you are the obligations are still the same. So we are trying to fix that process for all creators and brands. Happy to jump on a call to show what we are doing anytime
Hi Gavin, we use an accountant who is au fait with all of that - the part we're most interested in is collaboration opportunities.
Ah yes we are currently running the closed alpha on the marketplace collab feature. If you sign up creator.anothertrip.com/register there is an option to be contacted when it opens up for everyone to use. We are releasing new features weekly so feel free to contact me at gavin@anothertrip.com with any feature requests
I'd be happy to try this out. How do I get started?
Hi Rachel, thank you! You can register here creator.anothertrip.com/register . It is an ongoing process with new features every week so early feedback on what would be useful to you is more than welcome! You can send any feedback to gavin@anothertrip.com and if you would like a call about feedback or onboarding I am more than happy to
Cheers
Love this! As a tech agency working with hospitality brands, we see firsthand how important streamlined tools are for social success and tracking ROI. Wishing the team the best with this launch!
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Join us for our monthly travel meetup to discuss the latest news in travel, credit cards, and loyalty programs. This month's event is at Littel Rey Nashville, located at 2019 West End Ave, Bldg B, Nashville, TN 37203.
While this event is in February, I believe that Christmas is more of a state of mind than an actual day of the year. And since we weren't able to have the gift exchange in December (I was traveling) or January (snowmageddon), we're having it this time.
To participate in the “Dirty Santa” gift exchange, please bring a wrapped present of $25 or less (or more if you're feeling generous). Preferably, the gift should be something from a recent trip or something that would be good for a future trip.
🧑🎄 🎁 🎄 Rules for Dirty Santa 🎄 🎁 🧑🎄
1) Everyone grabs a number from the hat.
2) First person picks first & opens present.
3) Second person can steal the gift or select an unopened present.
4) Continue through all numbers.
5) An opened gift can be stolen twice until it is “safe” from being stolen again.
Participation is optional. But who wouldn't want to be part of the fun?
Link to event pageWe’re excited to welcome an incredible lineup of speakers for our next TravelTech meetup, bringing together investment insight, AI innovation, and the future of commerce in travel.
Chris Hemmeter from Thayer Ventures, one of the world’s leading Travel and Hospitality Tech investment firms, will share his perspective on where the most exciting opportunities in travel innovation are emerging and what investors are really looking for next.
Gavin Rooney, Founder of Another Trip, will explore the fast evolving intersection of AI and travel influencers, unpacking how content, creators, and technology are reshaping how travellers discover and book experiences.
Come for the conversations, stay for the pizza, beer, and great company!
Link to event pageJoin this special Travel Massive event to learn about Chicago Museum Tours by experiencing their most popular tour, the Art Institute Highlights Tour!
Sharp at 5:30pm, embark on a captivating 2-hour journey with a tour guide from Chicago Museum Tours through the heart of creativity at the Art Institute. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a complete novice, or simply seeking inspiration, this tour of the Art Institute is an unforgettable experience.
After the tour, debrief and unwind at a nearby bar. The first drink is on Chicago Museum Tours.
Limited spots available! Registration closes on Tuesday, February 24th.
Learn more about Chicago Museum Tours here: www.chicagomuseumtours.com.
Link to event pageHello Toronto Travel Massive community,
The content of this event has been updated to appeal to a broader audience.
Tired of drowning in repetitive tasks like keeping track of leads, managing bookings, handling customer emails, or pulling endless reports?
What would you do with an extra 5 hours a week? 10 hours a week? This session is designed specifically for professionals in the travel industry who want to learn how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can streamline your operations, reduce your costs, and free up more of your time to focus on creating better traveller experiences.
Our Chapter Leader Rain Takahashi will be providing us with AI tools that can help travel professionals, across all niches, save hours a day.
Who should attend?
• Travel agents, agencies, and tour operators.
• Event and group travel planners.
• Hospitality professionals and destination managers.
• Anyone curious about how automation can save time and unlock new opportunities in the travel industry.
What You’ll Learn
• Real-world uses: How AI can automate everyday tasks. From automating admin tasks like meeting notes, creating a content calendar, automating how you pitch/outreach, etc. AI can do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on the tasks with the highest ROI.
• Practical demos: Simple automations you can set-up today. If time allows, Rain will walk everyone through the process of setting up an AI customer service bot.
• Growth opportunities: How automation helps scale your travel business, boost customer satisfaction, improve retention and ultimately, make you more money.
👉 No tech background needed. Just bring your curiosity—this session will show you how easy it is to plug AI automation into your existing workflows.
We will also do an open mic at the beginning of the session, so if you have something to share, prepare a 1min elevator pitch and make sure to wrap it up with a call to action. We will pick a few people at random to share with the room.
⏰ Schedule of activities:
6:00 PM: Arrival
6:15 PM: Welcome and Open mic
6:30 PM: Presentation + FAQ
8:00 PM: Event ends
Meet your speaker: Rain Takahashi
Founder, jauntin.com
15 years ago, Rain Takahashi read the book The 4-Hour Work Week and it blew his mind. Since then, he has dedicated his life to “automation” so he can work without working, giving him the freedom to travel and do other things he loves.
About the venue sponsor:
The Well sets the stage for meaningful experiences that draw people from near and far to Eat, Shop, Work, Live and Play. Designed for community engagement, the Wellington Event Venue boasts 5,038 sq. ft. of a dynamic space nestled within Wellington Market on the Lower Ground level.
Learn more about the Wellington Event Venue:
thewelltoronto.com/directory/wellington-event-venue/
Learn more about The Well: thewelltoronto.com
Beverage sponsor: Greenhouse Juice Company
A Canadian beverage company seeking to make healthy and sustainable the new normal. Learn more at www.greenhouse.ca
Join the conversation 💬
• Travel Massive: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
• Wellington Event Venue at The Well: @hewell_to
• Greenhouse Juice Company: @greenhousejuice
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist, we would encourage you to still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come. If there are any cancellations, we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date as that helps us verify attendees.
Can’t make it? Get some of Rain’s n8n workflows for free through his Skool community: shorturl.at/fAJLb
Always join the waitlist, cancellations happen, capacity can change.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on www.travelmassive.com. Please make sure to describe what your role is in the travel industry and add associated social media and website links.
👉 Cancellations: If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity, we have a 3-strike no show policy.
📸 This event might be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let us know upon arrival.
Land acknowledgement: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageJoin us for an exciting Chinatown + Kensington Market Food Tour 🥟🧀🌮
There are two dates for this FAM, this is Sunday, March 1. If you are available both dates, register for both and we will choose for you.
Named one of the 9 Best Food Tours in the World by Forbes, this Chinatown + Kensington Market Food Tour is perfect for visitors and locals hungry to explore the city’s boldest, tastiest neighbourhoods. This tour includes 18+ tastings and treats, including a traditional multi-course Dim Sum feast.
Learn more about the tour: culinaryadventureco.com/tour/chinatown-kensington-market-food-tour
Who is this event for:
• Active travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters).
• Travel advisors and consultants who book experiences in Toronto.
👉 Important Housekeeping: Because this is a FAM the RSVP process will be processed via a waitlist. 👈
If you are interested in participating, please confirm you are available, you fit into the attendee industry niche, and then join the waitlist. Selected attendees will be added to the guest list by the Travel Massive team and automatically notified by email.
📝 Your TM Profile goes a long way: Make sure to complete your Travel Massive profile with:
• A profile picture
• Your title and company name (ie. blog name, or "freelance" if applicable)
• Social media links and a website link (if you don’t have a website, feel free to add your Muckrack link, creator portfolio, or other relevant web page)
• In your bio, elaborate on your expertise or speciality, so that by reading it we can quickly tell which travel industry niche you fall into
About Culinary Adventure Co.
100% family-owned and operated, Culinary Adventure Co. has been serving up unforgettable food tours and culinary experiences since 2010 - and because we’re family-run, we truly care. One of Canada’s largest culinary tourism operators, we delight locals and international visitors alike through neighbourhood food tours and custom corporate culinary experiences across Canada. Awarded the Ontario Culinary Tourism Experience Award and recognized as a Canadian Signature Experience, we’re also Toronto’s most five-star–rated Food + Drink operator on TripAdvisor. Come hungry... Every Bite Tells A Story™.
Learn more on culinaryadventureco.com
⏰ Schedule of activities:
2:45 PM: Meet the group and your tour guides
3:00 PM: Tour begins
6:00 PM: Tour concludes
🎁 Event giveaway:
Prizes and contest details will be announced shortly ⏰
💬 Join the conversation:
Travel Massive: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
Culinary Adventure Co.: IG: @culinaryadvco / FB: @culinaryadventureco / X (Twitter): @culinaryadvco / #culinaryadvco
🎟️ Event registration: There is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist, we would encourage you to still sign up in case someone is no longer able to come. If there are any cancellations, we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on www.travelmassive.com. Please make sure to describe what your role is in the travel industry and add associated social media and website links.
👉 Cancellations: If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity, we have a 3-strike no-show policy. As this is a FAM, no-shows or under 12-hour cancellations will count as 2 strikes.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let us know upon arrival.
Land acknowledgment: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississaugas’ of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageJoin us for an exciting Chinatown + Kensington Market Food Tour 🥟🧀🌮
There are two dates for this FAM, this is Tuesday, March 3. If you are available both dates, register for both and we will choose for you.
Named one of the 9 Best Food Tours in the World by Forbes, this Chinatown + Kensington Market Food Tour is perfect for visitors and locals hungry to explore the city’s boldest, tastiest neighbourhoods. This tour includes 18+ tastings and treats, including a traditional multi-course Dim Sum feast.
Learn more about the tour: culinaryadventureco.com/tour/chinatown-kensington-market-food-tour
Who is this event for:
• Active travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters).
• Travel advisors and consultants who book experiences in Toronto.
👉 Important Housekeeping: Because this is a FAM the RSVP process will be processed via a waitlist. 👈
If you are interested in participating, please confirm you are available, you fit into the attendee industry niche, and then join the waitlist. Selected attendees will be added to the guest list by the Travel Massive team and automatically notified by email.
📝 Your TM Profile goes a long way: Make sure to complete your Travel Massive profile with:
• A profile picture
• Your title and company name (ie. blog name, or "freelance" if applicable)
• Social media links and a website link (if you don’t have a website, feel free to add your Muckrack link, creator portfolio, or other relevant web page)
• In your bio, elaborate on your expertise or speciality, so that by reading it we can quickly tell which travel industry niche you fall into
About Culinary Adventure Co.
100% family-owned and operated, Culinary Adventure Co. has been serving up unforgettable food tours and culinary experiences since 2010 - and because we’re family-run, we truly care. One of Canada’s largest culinary tourism operators, we delight locals and international visitors alike through neighbourhood food tours and custom corporate culinary experiences across Canada. Awarded the Ontario Culinary Tourism Experience Award and recognized as a Canadian Signature Experience, we’re also Toronto’s most five-star–rated Food + Drink operator on TripAdvisor. Come hungry... Every Bite Tells A Story™.
Learn more on culinaryadventureco.com
⏰ Schedule of activities:
2:45 PM: Meet the group and your tour guides
3:00 PM: Tour begins
6:00 PM: Tour concludes
🎁 Event giveaway:
Prizes and contest details will be announced shortly ⏰
💬 Join the conversation:
Travel Massive: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
Culinary Adventure Co.: IG: @culinaryadvco / FB: @culinaryadventureco / X (Twitter): @culinaryadvco / #culinaryadvco
🎟️ Event registration: There is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist, we would encourage you to still sign up in case someone is no longer able to come. If there are any cancellations, we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on www.travelmassive.com. Please make sure to describe what your role is in the travel industry and add associated social media and website links.
👉 Cancellations: If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity, we have a 3-strike no-show policy. As this is a FAM, no-shows or under 12-hour cancellations will count as 2 strikes.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let us know upon arrival.
Land acknowledgment: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississaugas’ of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageHere's the 10 latest classified ads:
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